Derry & Strabane JobStart Scheme for young people approved by Council

At a Governance and Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 9, Lead HR officer, Paula Donnelly, said the scheme provides funding from the Department for Communities (DfC) to “allow employers to create new, high quality job opportunities” for 16 to 24 year olds at risk of long-term unemployment.

Ms Donnelly added: “The roles must be a minimum of 25 hours per week for six or nine months, must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group, and should not require people to undertake extensive training before they begin the job.

“The Council has commenced offering opportunities to individuals who wish to participate on the scheme.

“When they have successfully completed the scheme, they will be automatically registered on Council’s casual registers.

“They will also be in a better position to meet the criteria for a range of positions both within the Council and external organisations.”

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin said it was a “good scheme as it allows younger people a pathway into jobs at the Council,” but was concerned the scheme’s pay rate.

Councillor Harkin added: “It says they should be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, so if there’s way for us to bring up their wages to the full rate, even while they’re doing their training, I would be in favour of that.

“This issue’s important because the rate is £8.60 an hour for under 20 and £6.40 an hour if you’re under 18. It’s just far too low, and I think the Council should be doing everything they van to eradicate those pay scales.”

Ms Donnelly said once they were trained and put on the casual register, employees would be “ready to move onto the full job description, which would get the relevant rate of pay”.

She concluded: “We can consider paying “our” minimum wage, however there would be cost implications and I would have to bring back a report and look if there’s budget for that.

“I recommend we run this twelve months, look at how successful it is, and bring back a further report for the next twelve months.”

Of the 1,452 young people who completed the original JobStart scheme across the north, 77 per cent have gone on to secure full-time employment.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter